Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Education Town Hall Meeting

I thank those of you who attended the first of my five town hall meetings on December 7. I shared an overview of the state of education in the 24th Ward, including our local school performance, major policies that are impacting the Schools and the finances for CPS and our local schools. We had guest experts who shared their insights on instances of juvenile arrests, balanced and restorative justice and the need to better coordinate public benefits and supportive services in the Schools. I also shared my education agenda. There was significant give and take, and we learned a lot from our audience members. Here are handouts from the meeting.

Agenda-Education Meeting

Nehemiah 2,1-4

Education Town Hall Meeting-2003

Education Platform

It's Official...I'm On the Ballot--Now Help Me Win!

The Chicago Board of Elections met on December 13th, and have officially approved the recommendation that my name be included on the ballot for the February 22nd Municipal Election. The real work begins right now. I am asking you to donate $5, $10, $20, or whatever you can TODAY. Proceeds from your donation will be used to help me hire campaign staff, rent an office space and get my message out. Your donations will help me solidify community support, and put me in a stronger position to receive endorsements and matching funds.

I have attached a copy of a fundraising letter and my campaign bio. You may mail a check or money order to

Citizens to Elect Valerie F. Leonard
4111 West 21st Place
Chicago, IL 60623

You may also donate online by visiting http://vote4valerie.voterspace.com and clicking onto the “Contribute Now” button.

Fundraising Letter 4b

Campaign Bio

Monday, December 13, 2010

Faith N Sports Candidates Forum on January 8, 2011

Faith N Sports will be hosting a 24th ward candidates' forum on Jan. 8th 2011 at Paderewski Academy 2221 S. Lawndale 1:00 - 3:00. Come out and hear the Candidates response to your questions and concerns in order to make an educated choice for the decision maker of the 24th ward's future. Please RSVP by Dec. 30th to Frank Brim at 773 443 2746

Campaign Update -December 13, 2010

The Chicago Board of Elections met earlier today to review recommendations from the hearing officers regarding petitions challenges. I am pleased to announce that they have reviewed the findings in my case, and have declared that I am ON the ballot.

I want to thank each of you for your ongoing support, encouragement and feedback. Your input has truly helped to shape my candidacy, platform and this election, whether or not you are aware. This is democracy at its best.

I thank those of you who tuned in to Emilie and Friends last Saturday (December 4), where we discussed the pros and cons of TIFs, their impact on schools, the City's budget, and whether or not funds are being fairly distributed throughout Chicago. I will let you know when I get a copy of the CD to upload the audio to my website. This should happen within the next 10 days or so.

I thank those of you who attended the first of my five town hall meetings on December 7. I shared an overview of the state of education in the 24th Ward, including our local school performance, major policies that are impacting the Schools and the finances for CPS and our local schools. We had guest experts who shared their insights on instances of juvenile arrests, balanced and restorative justice and the need to better coordinate public benefits and supportive services in the Schools. I also shared my education agenda. There was significant give and take, and we learned a lot from our audience members. I will share more detailed information once I type out my notes from the meeting.

The next town hall meeting will be Tuesday, December 28, 2010, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at Carey Tercentenary AME Church, 1448 South Homan Avenue. We will discuss jobs, economic development and technology. I will share an overview of the state of affairs in the Ward and provide my platform for jobs, economic development and technology. We will hear from guest experts in the areas of workforce development policy, workforce development programming and implementation of community-based technology centers.

I am in the process of responding to a number of questionnaires and meeting requests from community based organizations, the media and political action committees. The hottest issues on their minds include TIFs, education, bringing jobs back to the City, the City's finances, the City's pension funds, and the privatization of City assets and services. Let me know if you are interested in having me visit you, your organization or small group of colleagues so that we can discuss the issues that are important to you. You can e-mail me at valeriefleonard@msn.com.